Concerning rise in drivers speeding through red lights on Victorian roads

Motorists are being caught running red lights every three minutes in Victoria, with more than $86m in fines dished out. Find out where you’re most likely to be caught.

Motorists are being caught running red lights every three minutes in Victoria, as reckless drivers put lives at risk as they set a nine year high for traffic light offences.

It comes as the state had an almost 10 per cent spike in red light infringements, with the number of offences recorded in the last financial year tipping over 175,000 for the first time since 2014/15.

As a result Victorians forked out at least $86.6m in fines for running red lights.

The latest figures follow a concerning trend on Victorian roads, with infringements recorded in 2022/23 increasing by 27 per cent from the year before.

Claire Cooper, of Maldon in the state’s northwest, has lived with traumatic physical and brain injuries for more than a decade — caused by a driver who sped through a red light and collided with her.

Claire Cooper suffered traumatic brain injuries after she was knocked off her bike by a driver who ran a red light in 2013. Picture: news.com.au

Ms Cooper was riding her bike in Parkville at the time of the incident, leaving her unable to use the right side of her body and putting an end to a 30-year career as a classical pianist.

She said the actions of a distracted driver “completely destroyed (her) life”.

“I’m fairly lucky to be alive, I was as close to death as you can get,” she said.

“I was in a coma for three weeks and in hospital for four months.

“I haven’t been able to work for 11 years, it completely f--ked my life.”

The smash caused spasticity in half her body and also affected her ability to walk and speak.

Ms Cooper said the disregard motorists had for their safety and that of others was “extraordinary”.

“People think it can’t happen to them or that they won’t get caught or go through a red light but it happens all the time,” she said.

“I see people on country roads driving 100km/h with their heads down ... when I was going into rehab in a taxi I’d see people driving along the Bolte Bridge texting and it made me furious.”

Failing to obey traffic lights, both red-light and red-light arrow, incurs a penalty of $494 and three demerit points.

The intersection of Rosanna Rd and Darebin St in Heidelberg was the biggest hotspot for safety camera infringements in the state last year — going off 11,000 more times than the cameras near the Holmesglen on Warrigal Rd, Chadstone.

The intersections where you're most likely to get caught speeding.

Camera detected infringements increased by 7 per cent last year.

Drivers were caught the most on their phones and without a seatbelt on Pascoe Vale Rd, Coolaroo — between Somerton Rd and Paringa Bvd.

Nearly 39,000 infringements were also issued for people “touching a portable device” while driving last year.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said driving against red lights “significantly increases the likelihood of a collision and puts all road users at risk”.

“Road safety cameras play an important role in reducing road trauma on Victoria’s roads,” she said, noting the cameras had reduced injury crashes by up to 47 per cent at Victorian intersections.